The Indiana State sentinel., 1887-04-06
Jones. OF FLORIDA.
The Eccentric Senator Hints That He
VIII Reveal a Conspiracy.
Detroit Special to Inter-0cean.l

10 speak OF MIN, after TWO wears CO0tlnueu
residence here, as "of Florida" may seem
manifestly absurd. Yet, while he has
chosen his abiding place with rare good
Judgment, and in The eye of the Michigan
law is a denizen of this commonwealth,
Mr.. Jones himself chooses to consider that
he is still 'of Florida" And moreover, il
is a settled fact that he deems himself of
that State to such an extent that at the
meeting of the Florida Legislature on April
States Senate at its hands. He has already
directed his elder son, who acts as
his private secretary, to proceed
from Washington to Florida, and will him
self start for that State in a day or two.
Rumors that he would do this have gener-
ally been discredited by the press, and
that he would ask for reelection was con-
sidered as something too preposterous for
belief. Yet that is just what ex-senator
Jones will do, as now arranged. At
neither session of the Forty-ninth Congress
did he appear in his place on the floor of
the Senate. Ito all appearances the inter-
ests of the State were wholly and dellber-
ately neglected. Yet Mr.. Jones has what
appears the supreme hardihood-not to use
a more forcible expression in slang-to ask
the Florida Legislature to return him to an
Office so that he may draw q comfor able
salary and with ii live at his ease in M'chi-
gan. Surely this is an unparalleled case In
political history. At the bottom of it all
would be the natural conclusion: there
must be some valid reason for the course
Mr.. Jones has taken, some deep-laid
scheme, or else Mr.. Jones mind is unbal-
aDced. The last named explanation has
often been limited, the others only recently.
That Mr.. Jones is shrewd man and an
able one must be admitted. He is too
shrewd and too able to go to Florida at the
present time on a wlld-goose chase. He is
too much OF q politician to ask for re-elec
tion unless he is certain of some votes-of
a following sufficient to make at least
creditable showir G. AS much as he has
been ridiculed and his chances of re-
election held to be infinitesmal, certain it
is that Mr.. Jones believes he will be the
next Florida Senator-elect. Nor would it
surprise many others here wlo know the
man. Whatever wires he has laid, what
ever batteries charged, they have all been
on an underground system. What they
are and what will be the result is mere
supposition. But he has, it may be stated
as a fact, a bomb which he will touch off
before the Florida Legislature. or what
character ii is the touch of the match will
determine, and the statement which Mr..
Jones will then make should set at rest at
least one question-that of his insanity on
certain SUBJECTS.
1t has been stated in the press that bis
rumored statement would be to the effect
that he was compelled to leave Washing
ton on account of his health. Another
rumor afioat has been that he would dis
close a deep laid conspiracy against him.
self and his. The first statemen is absurd.
Mr.. Jones didn't leave Washington on &C.
count Of his health, and he entered Detroit
and its upper society under most favorable
circumstances. He came here in 1885 as
the guest Of ex-Mayor William G. Thomp.
son, whose guest he was for a month or
more. While there he met Miss Clotilde
Palms, daughter of the millionaire, Fran
els Palms, who died last November. and
whose SIS, 900 estate is now being con-
tested in the courts.
The Senator was undoubtedly smitten
with Miss Pelms-at least so all outsiders
thought, for they argued, "Who wouldn't
be smitten with prepossessing woman no
doubt joint heiress with an only brother
10 the richest estate in the State of MIchi-
gan" So, Mr.. Jones' name was coupled
with that of Miss Palms, and as he stayed
on and on she was set up as the cause of
his long stay. The gray-haired Senator
used to take long walks OF mornings, and
it was talk, also, that they were always dl-
rected about the Palms residence. The
Senator may have been smitten, no doubt
was. But the truth is, say Miss Palms
friends, that he saw so little of her that
now he passes her in the streetwithout rec
ognizing her.
After time in Detroit, as a guest of
Mr.. Thompson, Senator jones removed to
the Russell House, and established him.
self in parlor A, where he has ever since
lived. The room is on the first floor, a
corner one, and very pleasant. Mr.. Jones
admits no reporters to his room-that is,
willingly. Therefore the Inter-Ocean cor.
respondent did not feel it incumbent to
label himself newspaper man when he
visited it. The ex-senator himself uses a
folding bed, while single bed in the room
is occupied by mis- younger son, youth of
eighteen or nineteen years. There is q
table Uttered with letters and writing ma
terial, but what strikes the visitors atten-
tion is space TO the left of the marble
fireplace devoted to files Of the New York
Herald, Times, Tribune, and Sun, COM
plete for two years back, and q
file of the Philadelphia Press.
Against the last-named paper, which
has made Mr.. Jones a general stock
in trade ior thrRsts no doubt deserved by
! appearances, he has threatened sundry and
| dire libel suits when the proper time comes.
Every morning he spends an hour or more
in the public library looking over East ern
and Southern papers. Most of the after
noon he passes in his-room. After dinner
and tea he MAJ usually be seen for a few
minutes about the hotel corridor, where he
is always a striking figure. Tall, well
built, in closely-buttoned broadcloth frock
coat, with smooth shaven ford face and
snow-white fair, he makes quite a com.
manding figure. That's Jones'" says
some one, and Immediately everybody
looks. In his way he is quite lion. But
he is uDappToachable. He used to patron.
| ze the bar rather freely, but for q lone
| time has confined himself to a bottle oil
Bass daily, taken Just before dinner.
Mr.. Jones is popular in Detroit with the
| masses. Had he lived here few years
| longer he might be a political power with
the Democracy. He is an orator, and a;
such has caught the hearts of the people
| At the banquet on st. Patrick's Day he
was received with such enthusiasm as has
seldom been seen here, and at recent anti
7 prohibition meeting where he was called
out the multitude fairly went wild over
/ him. But he has little or no following
| among party men near or in po wer. Nor
| has he directed his end in that way. His
ey e will be seen in the next two weeks, il
may be safely predicted, to have been fixed
| steadfastly on the Florida Senatorship,
| while his brain and hands have not been
| Idle.
As to the rumor OF political conspiracy
/ which the much-talked of Senator is to
disclose and cause knees 10 tremble and
faces e.ch, the foundation for ii is no
doubt Sn marginal notes written on news
| papers opposite paragraphs rejecting on
the ex-senator, and which are said to be in
his handwriting. Wait for the great con.